Elizabeth Goudge 1900 - 1984

Sylvia Gower. The World of Elizabeth Goudge

When  I made my first Goudge pilgrimage  to England. I visited Oxford and Wells, two cities where Elizabeth Goudge lived and set some of her novels. I met so many kind people. I fell in love with Goudge's homeland.

So many things happened after that trip. To make a long story short by the next time I was ready to leave for England, Sylvia Gower, another woman who enjoys and admires Goudge's work. invited me to visit. Visit I did and I was so impressed. Sylvia Gower was working on a book about Goudge and the places she loved. She and her husband had already visited many of the places. She took notes and pictures, talked with those who knew Goudge. And she had already written some chapters which she generously allowed me to read. Until meeting Sylvia Gower I entertained the notion that I would write a book about Goudge's England but after meeting her, I decided to abandon my task.  It seemed more appropriate that a book about Goudge's World should be written by an English woman and several chapters were already underway.

Sylvia Gower and I continued to correspond after I returned home. I learned that some major publishing houses thought that there would not be enough of an audience for a book about Elizabeth Goudge and so  Sylvia decided to self-publish. [It is of some delight to me to report that the book has already gone through three printings..]

When I received my copy of Gower's The World of Elizabeth Goudge I was struck that this is not your usual biography. It is work of an admirer, of a loyal reader. As the back cover blurb says:

"In this book about her [Goudge] life and writing Sylvia Gower shares her experiences of visiting the places Elizabeth made famous in her books and explores the reasons for their success and evergreen appeal for today's readers."

I feel honored that Sylvia Gower asked me to be the American distributer for her book. I have met so many Goudge fans in the process. Because Sylvia was willing to take time sign a few copies of the first printing for me, some fans have received SIGNED first editors.  After the book went through several printings Mrs. Gower decided not to issue any more copies.  As a result The World of Elizabeth Goudge is quite hard to find.

I feel honored to be able to call Sylvia Gower a friend as well as co-admirer of Elizabeth Goudge and her work.